Information about books for Children/Tweens/YA, with a little bit of writing thrown in. Explore new books. Discover new authors. Uncover pieces of an author's life. All with a focus on getting Young Readers to read and write more.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Vivienne Mathews is a nerdy ice queen who talks with her hands and owns far too many hats. A beekeeper with a bee allergy, no one would ever accuse her of being sensible. She spends most of her days in Hermitville, just past Nowhere, with her loving husband, two dogs, and a child who won’t stop growing no matter how desperately she tries to keep him young. More than anything, she hopes you enjoy her books as much as she enjoys writing them.Why did you pick to write books for MG?

Though I’ve written in many genres, middle grade fiction is my favorite place to be. I adore the purity of the themes, the ability to write noble characters without having to justify their decent natures to a cynical audience. You can be as honorable and grandiose and fantastical as your imagination will allow, and no one will ever ask you to make excuses for it because they’re right there with you. They want to be awed at the end of it. They want to be happy. We old fogeys don’t seem to have time for that sort of thing, which is a shame because the truth is, the best lessons I’ve ever learned (in reading) have all come from books written for the young.

What types of books do you like to read?

As you’ve probably guessed, I love junior fiction. I’m currently reading Savvy by Ingrid Law, and we’re reading Bot Wars by J.V. Kade as a family. Yup, we still read out loud to our preteen every night. He loves it!When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

My husband and I live on a homestead in a very rural area, so we do a lot of gardening, canning, that sort of thing. We raise chickens and keep bees. We also play way too many video games, but don’t tell anyone that.

Tell us about The Sons of Masguard and how the story came to be.

It’s so silly. Seriously, you’re going to laugh at me. Years ago, my mother taught a preschool class. The instruction manual with which she’d been provided listed a series of cartoon animals – one for every two letters of the alphabet. The manual itself didn’t come with images, only brief descriptions of the animals, so she asked me to sketch up the cartoons in my spare time. I was a bit thrown when the character for “o” and “p” was a painting ostrich. I thought, “That’s a bit weird. With all the available choices? Why not a piano playing octopus, or an otter pirate?” It bothered me enough that I got up in the middle of the night to draw my own version of the character. Trouble was, I had two very disparate ideas as to what this character should look like. So, I drew them both. Two otters in naval getups with crossed swords. That sketch later became the combined character mock-up for Captains Marshall and McKinley, and they took on a life of their own. All from a painting ostrich. There. No one will ever take me seriously again. I hope you’re happy.

Here's a peek at The Sons of Masguard:

A haunting mist sits on the harbor beneath Secora Tor.

It hides a secret that only Captain Marshall, accomplished military figure and heir to the greatest explorer in the kingdom’s history, can unlock. When he receives a cryptic message from a shocking source, the stoic otter sets out on a dangerous journey to save his queen, never suspecting that McKinley the Marauder, notorious pirate and general miscreant, might have ambitions that could put his entire mission at risk.

Now, accompanied by a gypsy mercenary, a dishonored knight, and a family of thieves – and tailed by the evil wolf Baron Von Ulric – the Captain finds their paths converging in an uneasy alliance, becoming a race against time as they travel through mythical tales to the legendary island of Mosque Hill, each of them hoping to reach an ancient artifact before it is too late. Each of them desperate to stay ahead of the secrets that they keep.

What will they lose along the way?

And where will they turn when they realize that nothing is as it seems?

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

Gobs. Some are written specifically for current markets and published under a different name, but most are just sitting in a file full of not-good-enough-for-print follies on my hard drive.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

I am! The Sons of Masguard is currently outlined through book five and is set to have a spinoff series with Careful Steps Kal (an orphan raccoon from book one) as the protagonist, so I’m hard at work on those. I’m also desperately trying to finalize a stack of illustrations for several picture books that I hope to have available by the end 2014, time permitting. What advice do you have for other authors?

Oh my, I don’t know that I’m in any position to offer advice. Franz Kakfa is, though. (Er… was?) ”Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.” Be true to your characters and tell the story that you want to tell. The rest will take care of itself.Anything else you want readers to know?

If your Facebook language isn’t set to “pirate,” you’re missing out. Cheers and hugs to all who took the time to read this!Where can readers find you and your books?

I was born in Ft. Worth, Texas, grew up in Grapevine (home of the DFW Airport), earned an art degree from U.T. Austin, lived there for years, and two years ago bought a 1930s cottage in Taylor, a small town northeast of Austin. I’ve been writing since I was very young---poetry, plays, short stories and lots of non-fiction. My main love, though, is writing fiction---especially anything funny or mysterious---or both.

Why did you pick to write books for Middle Grade Readers?

I’m not sure I made an active choice to write middle grade, but the kinds of quirky characters and humor that always seem to come out of my mind are well suited to that age group. I love that middle grade fiction doesn’t seem to have any boundaries in terms of strangeness, humor, crazy characters or situations, etc.

What types of books do you like to read?

I love reading mysterious stories, stories of quirky characters in small towns or strange places. I love reading comedy, books with snappy dialogue and clever uses of words and word play, and I use a lot of that in my writing. I read a lot of middle grade fiction. I tend to like kid books like the Lemony Snicket series, Van Draanen’s Sammy Keye’s series and Ardagh’s Eddie Dickens Trilogy. I’m also a big fan of Betty Ren Wright’s books.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

I am an avid gardener, and tend ¼ acre of heirloom roses, herbs and vegetables and have designed a “critter garden” over the last two years since we moved here. We’re surrounded by birds, bees, butterflies, squirrels and the occasional neighborhood cat that enjoys my catnip. I also have six rescue cats of my own, and tending to them is sometimes a full-time job.

Tell us about Princess Primrose and the Curse of The Big Sleep, and how the story came to be.

Princess Primrose and the Curse of The Big Sleep was originally a stage play I wrote that won an award from a children’s theatre in Arizona. I decided to expand the story a bit and publish it as a book. One of my “things” is to spoof classic stories, and I thought it would be fun to mix a handful of different stories together—this time fairy tales and a detective story. It seemed a natural since I primarily consider myself a mystery writer. Before long I’d visualized Rapunzel Rapunzel and Snow White as Inquiry Agents (detectives) who work with seven elves named Marlowe, Stealthy, Creeper, Nosy, Snoops, Sherlock and Gumshoe to solve crimes in their kingdom.

Here's a peek at Princess Primrose and the Curse of The Big Sleep.

It takes a motley assortment of characters to solve the case of the Curse of The Big Sleep. There’s trouble brewing when Snitch, the Tattle-Tale Fairy, sets a crazy caper in motion when he tells a wicked witch that she has a beautiful niece, Princess
Primrose. She puts a sleeping spell on the princess and the two
detectives are hired to find an enchanted frog who hopefully can break
the Curse of The Big Sleep. Who will save sleeping pretty Princess Primrose from Moribunda McEvil? R. Rapunzel and S. White, Inquiry Agents? Their seven helper elves, or Miss Slumberkins, a young witch who can only reverse spells---sort of? Or will it be Weasel the Wizard, with one of his special potions? Or perhaps there really is a prince in the motley assortment of enchanted creatures. Princess Primrose and the Curse of The Big Sleep is filled with quirky characters, snappy dialogue (and a happy, yet twisted ending). Anyone who believes in magic will love this fast-paced fairy tale spoof.

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

Yes, I’ve written lots of non-fiction, short stories and one historical mystery for adults, Lone Star Death. I’ve also written plays for youth theatre, and a DRACULA comedy spoof play, The Journal of Mina Harker. I’m an eclectic author, but most of my fictional stories do have the “all things mysterious” in common with each other. I also have a little e-booklet on cooking with herbs and spices.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

Yes, I’m always working on something new. I’m making notes for a second book in the R. Rapunzel and S. White series and working on a series of short mystery stories.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Being an author, or writing a book, is never like you think it will be. It’s really, really hard work to keep producing, day after day, month after month, year after year. Yes, writing is fun, but it’s mostly hard work. You really have to be committed (in more ways than one! LOL) in order to make a career out of it. And these days, you have to be willing to do a lot of your own promotion and have the courage to get your work out there even when others reject it. Promotion of books really is a full-time job, and you have to carve out time to do the writing. Don’t be pressured into writing just one thing if you want to explore different types of writing. There are readers for anything you want to write. The hard part is finding them.

My published books are available on Amazon.com right now in e-book format for the Kindle (and in other formats in the future). Princess Primrose and Lone Star Death are also available in paperback through Amazon.com.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

The 12 Authors of Christmas and Carpinello’s Writing Pages proudly showcase Fiona Ingram and Book I of the Chronicles of Stone series Book 1: The Secret of the Sacred Scarab. Fiona shares with readers her plans for the series and offers all who comment a copy of The Young Explorer’s Companion to The Secret of the Sacred Scarab.

Fiona, please give us a summary of The Secret of the Sacred Scarab:

The story is about two local heroes who are catapulted into an international adventure: two young South African boys, Justin and Adam Sinclair (aged just-turned-13 and 12-going-on-13 respectively), who visit Egypt with their Aunt Isabel and their grandmother. They are given an ancient scarab by mistake (or is it?) and are plunged into an incredible adventure, escaping death, giant cobras, desert sands, and evil villains in their quest to discover the secret of the sacred scarab, find the long lost tomb of the legendary Scarab King, and rescue the missing archeologist James Kinnaird.

How does the series unfold?

After their adventure in Egypt, it is inevitable that Justin and Adam embark on a series of journeys to locate the remaining Six Stones of Power that have been scattered and lost throughout the ancient world. Adam as the bearer of the sacred scarab, the first stone, has somehow been chosen, and marked with a birthmark in the shape of the ankh sign, the Egyptian sign of life, and it is a role he cannot escape. Adam has mixed feelings about this role. He had so badly wanted to be different, and now that the opportunity is thrust upon him, is not sure he is up to the task. His cousin Justin fulfills his part as helper, friend, and protector, even though he wrestles with natural feelings of jealousy and inadequacy – after all, why wasn’t he chosen?

These ancient stones, having been set as fine jewels, would obviously have been destined for the hands of rulers, either as weapons or decorations of office. The First Stone of Power has been found and is drawing the others towards it. Each stone carries a particular history with it, relating to the place where it is discovered. For example: the sacred scarab belonged to the Egyptian Scarab King; the second stone was set in a sword, which finally ended up in the hands of Arthur, Dark Age warrior and hero-king of Britain. Each stone is almost frozen in time, its place of discovery being the last place it ended up before being lost. The boys discover a strange inscription and a picture in Book Two that helps them create a spiritual and physical map for what faces them.

The series sounds fascinating. Do you mind telling us the titles for the rest of the books?

No, not at all. At the present time, these are the titles and where the stories take place:

Book 2 - The Search for the Stone of Excalibur - Britain (On sale soon.)Book 3 - The Temple of the Crystal Time Keeper - Mexico’s JunglesBook 4 - The Cabal of the Orobouros - FranceBook 5 - The Eye of the Indian Idol - IndiaBook 6 - The Curse of the Cup of Jamshid - TurkeyBook 7 - The Sign of the Seventh Crown – Africa (finale)

These are all places rich in legend, mystery, history, and mythology.

Now, I’ve just finished reading The Young Explorer's Companion to The Secret of the Sacred Scarab: The Official Illustrated Guide to Chronicles of the Stone Book 1. It’s such an entertaining companion to Book 1. I loved all the Egyptian history, mythology, and activities for kids. Plus, you’ve included the opening chapters to Books 2 and 3! Are you going to publish a Young Explorer’s Companion to each of the books?

Yes, that is my plan. It’s taken me quite a while to pull all the information together, but I believe it will make the adventures in the series more real for readers.

And for your readers, I am offering (in PDF format) The Young Explorer’s Companion for Book 1 free to all who leave a comment. If readers respond to this post and leave their email with a comment, we’ll delete that before posting the comment. That way their copy of the Companion Book can be on its way quicker.

Don't forget to leave a comment on this post with your email address in it for your FREE pdf copy of The Young Explorer’s Companion to The Secret of the Sacred Scarab. (We will not publish or keep your email address.)

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab is one of the 30 books in the 12 Authors of Christmas Giveaway! Enter here:

Welcome to the fantastic 12 Authors of Christmas seasonal giveaway and blog tour!

Our busy Book Elves are giving away a total of 30 prizes of books suitable for Middle Grade readers - age roughly 8 to 14 - although a lot of adults enjoy them too!

Who are the Authors on tour?

All these authors are interviewing
each other, reviewing each others' books and more in the Giveaway blog
tour starting 1st December. Click the links to go to their websites and
find out more about them, and check out their books in the InLinkz list
below.

Check out all these books!

Now Enter the Giveaway!

You could win a prize from one of these authors.
Most are offering one or two books from their series: if you've already
got the first, they may offer you a different one if you win. The
prizes are as detailed on the rafflecopter form.
Contest runs: December 1st to 23rd, 11:59 pm EST, 2013
Open: Worldwide
How to enter: Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO
ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Winners will be randomly
drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email
within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have until
28th Dec. to respond. If the winner does not respond in that time, a
new draw will take place for a new winner. No cash alternatives to the
ebooks offered. Authors may (at their sole discretion) offer a
different ebook from that listed if the winner already owns the prize
listed. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible
entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or
administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is
sponsored by the authors named and is hosted and managed by Jemima Pett,
the Princelings author. If you have any additional questions – feel
free to send an email to jemima (dot) pett (at) gmail (dot) com.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

About the Book

Title: Ghost Leopard (Zoe and Zak Series, Book #1)

Authors: Lars Guignard

Publication Date: July 21, 2012

Publisher: Fantastic Press

Pages: 338

Recommended Age: 8+

Summary (Amazon):

Zoe and Zak are lost in exotic India, where gods and magic still exist. Before they can find their way home, they just have to do one little thing… …Save a mythical creature from an ancient evil that wants to rule the world. When Zoe Guire goes along on her mom’s business trip to India, things get very weird, very quickly. An elephant god speaks to her from the bottom of a swimming pool… She and her classmate Zak get locked in a trunk and shipped off to a strange city near the foothills of the Himalayas… and a crazy snake charmer tells them they’ve been chosen to protect a mythical creature called the Ghost Leopard from an ancient evil that wants to take over the world. As they travel deeper into the majestic mountains known as the Realm of the Gods, things get even weirder. If she and Zak want to make it back to their parents, they’re going to have to tap into powers they never knew existed. Because if they don’t, things will never be the same for any of us ever again.

Carpinello's Writing Pages is pleased to be part of the Ghost Leopard Blog Tour and honored to be able to interview the author Lars Guignard.

Why did you pick to write books for MG/YA?I started writing Middle Grade because I have two children and they kept asking me questions about some of the experiences I had when I was younger, specifically what it was like to go to school in India. They asked me so many questions that I thought it was time to write a book.

What types of books do you like to read?I read very broadly. All sorts of thriller and adventure books. On the kids' side, I'm a big fan of Rick Riordan and Eoin Colfer.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?Everything. Writing can be very consuming, so getting a break doing anything is great. I especially like to ski and kayak.

Tell us about Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopard, and how the story came to be.

As I mentioned previously, I went to school for a time in India, and during that time I did a lot of hiking in the Himalayas. Once we hiked very high into the mountains and a snow leopard visited our camp at night. It left an impression on me. I would say that experience was the inspiration for Ghost Leopard.

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

I have a spy thriller series for adults. The first book in the series is called Lethal Circuit and the next one is Blown Circuit. They're a bit of different take on the spy thriller genre as they follow a twenty-something backpacker around the globe. They're adrenalin-fueled adventure stories filled with conspiracy and intrigue. Think of a backpacking Bond and you kind of get the idea.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

The third installment in the Zoe and Zak series, Tiger Temple is being released this December. I'm working on the new Circuit book, Quantum Circuit, right now.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Read lots of books. Then write lots, but take some time before putting it out in the world. As with everything else, I think there's a learning curve to writing.

Anything else you want readers to know?

I
attended the American Film Institute and then wrote for film and
television for many years before moving onto books. I think the
experience really helped me distill what makes a lean, exciting story. I'm thankful for that training.

Purchase

The Buzz

"Awesome! ~ I am 11 and I liked the book because I love adventures. It was a different kind of adventure from what I usually read and it was funny too. " ~ 5-Star Review from J. Olsen, Amazon

"This was a fun read. This book was like a kid's version of Indiana Jones. It's also very educational as Zoe tells you real facts about what she sees and the history. I enjoyed it immensely. If you have a 10-12 year old child that loves adventure books, this is definitely a must read. " ~ 5-Star review from Simone Lilly-Egerter, Amazon

"I'm sure this book was written for children who are around the age of the two children in the book, 11 or so. But, this 35 year old loved this book! It had action, adventure and imagination galore! It was exactly the kind of adventure that a lot of kids that age dream of." ~ 5-Star review from The Novice Christian, Amazon

About The Author: Lars Guignard

Prior to writing novels, Lars Guignard wrote for film and television. As a teenager he attended boarding school in the Indian Himalayas and his experiences there provided the inspiration for the Zoe and Zak series which now include: Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopard, Zoe & Zak and the Yogi’s Curse, and Zoe & Zak and the Tiger Temple.
He lives in the Pacific Northwest where he dodges bears and cougars while hiking & skiing the magnificent Coast Mountain Range.
For news about new releases, please join his email list here: http://www.larsguignard.com/contact/

Ask Lars Guignard a Question on Goodreads

Fantastic Press is pleased to announce that Lars Guignard will be answering questions about Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopardthroughout the day on Monday, December 16th, 2013 on Goodreads. If you have any questions for Lars or just want to introduce yourself, you can head on over to Goodreads and say hello now. Also, everyone who joins the Forum will earn an entry into the Ghost Leopard Blog Tour giveaway (see below for more details).

Click on the Goodreads Button below to go to the Mon, Dec 16 - "Ask Lars Guignard about Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopard" event and leave a question for the author anytime from now until December 16th, 2013.

** Be sure to look for the upcoming Blog Tour for Book 2 in the Zoe and Zak Series, "Yogi's Curse" coming December 15, 2013. **

* Ghost Leopard Blog Tour Giveaway *

Prize: Three winners will receive a print (U.S. & Canada) or electronic (international winners) copy of Ghost Leopardby Lars Guignard.
Contest runs: November 15 to December 17, 11:59 pm, 2013
Open: Worldwide
How to enter: Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. The winners will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winners will then have 72 hours to respond. If a winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author Lars Guignard and Fantastic Press and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions - feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Book

Summary (Amazon):

For over a thousand years dragons have existed in secret . . .
Peter Clark can build a robot from scratch and pick a lock in two minutes or less. But he can't figure out why his mother left or why his grandma refuses to talk about her. When Uncle Dominick shows up on Peter's twelfth birthday with a letter that hints at answers and an incredible story about dragons, Peter follows him, determined to find out the truth about his mother's disappearance.
What he finds is a reality far different from what he ever could have imagined - where dragons live in hiding, hunted by poachers for their magical parts, and a small group of men and women work tirelessly to protect them. These are the Dragon Defenders. Peter's uncle is one. So was his mother. Now it's Peter's turn.

Purchase

The Buzz

"We read an advance copy of this book on kindle earlier this year and our 5th grade son read it twice and is anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. Great adventure, really kept our interest reading it together at night. This was one of the kids books I most enjoyed reading myself as well. The characters and the plot are well developed, and appealing to a wide range of kids (both genders). The writing is sophisticated but easy to understand, not 'dumbed down' like many kids books. The subject of dragons was so well crafted that it's easy believe that dragons just might exist, after all." ~ 5 Star Review, Leigh A., Amazon

"Reminiscent of the Fablehaven series (with just the right touch of Harry P.) this middle grade book is both an adventure and a pleasure...Fast-paced and full of wonder, this book takes middle grade readers on a vivid journey from the southwestern U.S. to Mexico; where jungles, ancient ruins and local folklore add to the enchantment that Peter finds when he discovers that dragons are in fact, real. As a former elementary school teacher, my strong feeling is that kids will eat this book whole, and then turn to searching for dragon eggs in their own backyards!" ~ 5 Star Review, Grace W., Amazon

"Dragon Defender was an absorbing action packed read! The author pulls you in from the first page and I'm not sorry to say I read it all in the first day. I'm 33 but still! This is a fun book for a chapter a night with your 5 year old (my son is loving it so far) or for yourself. The characters are well developed so you feel like you're really there, and the dragon is so believable. I'd venture so far as to say I had to remind myself that dragons don't really exist.... or do they?" ~ 5 Star Review, MGC, Amazon

About the Author: J.A. Blackburn

J. A. Blackburn lives in Seattle, Washington in a small white house overlooking the sea with her husband, Jason, her son, Camden, and their dog, Bella. Dragon Defender is her first novel.

* $50 Book Blast Giveaway *

Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest runs: December 8, 2013 to January 6, 2014, 11:59 pm, 2013
Open: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, J.A. Blackburn and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, December 6, 2013

Welcome to the fantastic 12 Authors of Christmas seasonal giveaway and blog tour!

Our busy Book Elves are giving away a total of 30 prizes of books suitable for Middle Grade readers - age roughly 8 to 14 - although a lot of adults enjoy them too!

Who are the Authors on tour?

All these authors are interviewing each other, reviewing each others' books and more in the Giveaway blog tour starting 1st December. Click the links to go to their websites and find out more about them, and check out their books in the InLinkz list below.

Check out all these books!

Now Enter the Giveaway!

You could win a prize from one of these authors. Most are offering one or two books from their series: if you've already got the first, they may offer you a different one if you win. The prizes are as detailed on the rafflecopter form.
Contest runs: December 1st to 23rd, 11:59 pm EST, 2013
Open: Worldwide
How to enter: Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Winners will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have until 28th Dec. to respond. If the winner does not respond in that time, a new draw will take place for a new winner. No cash alternatives to the ebooks offered. Authors may (at their sole discretion) offer a different ebook from that listed if the winner already owns the prize listed. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the authors named and is hosted and managed by Jemima Pett, the Princelings author. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to jemima (dot) pett (at) gmail (dot) com.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes YA author and fellow Muser Sherry Antonetti and her story The Book of Helen.

First, Sherry tells us about herself:

My name is Sherry Antonetti. I’m a married Catholic mother of ten. I have a master’s in Special Education and write columns, articles and blog. This is my first book.

Why did you pick to write books for YA?

It’s not so much that I picked writing for young adults, I picked writing stories about powerful women. I patterned these women after corporate CEOs. For people entering into the work force, they probably have experienced a boss or professor who dominates or controls everything like the two strong women in my book, Helen and Polyoxo. They (like my character Pythia), have to find their voice and find their feet in the world. This is done in part through apprenticeship to these difficult leaders/employers, and in part by graduating from being a mere follower and recipient of information, to being an active creator/orchestrator, speaking up and acting independently, and sometimes, in direct confrontation of those who have up to now, been the people in charge.

What types of books do you like to read?

I won’t say everything but I do love the classics, stuff English majors get assigned and everyone else rolls their eyes. Obviously Greek Mythology and the subsequent inspirations drawn from those early Greeks is a big part of my reading stack. I also enjoy historical fiction and auto-biographies (The Liar’s Club trilogy is a favorite) and semi-memoirs (Stephen King’s On Writing which I’m currently reading). They’re brilliant because even though every book that tells a person’s life or even selections of life, it reveals more comprehensively than the writer even knew at the time, they were revealing. I think that’s the joy of reading, finding that jewel of truth in whatever book you’ve found yourself.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

I’m a mother, I do everything. However I like to play games with my children and to cook. I’d love to tell you I collect tea kettles and raise heirloom tomatoes and meet with friends at the museum downtown to discuss politics. The reality is I make cupcakes not Instagram worthy, my husband is the gardener, and the closest I get to a museum is my refrigerator. The upside is every day I’m treated to new works of art from up and coming artists who show lots of love and passion for their craft and give me one on one analysis of their work for cupcakes.

Tell us about The Book of Helen and how the story came to be.

I started writing and submitting articles to various places in 2005. Amazingly, I had a rash of beginner’s luck with acceptances and that encouraged me to keep writing. By 2007, I'd begun to think, I should try something more than articles. I should write a book...but about what? My daughter Regina was born that year in April. She contracted a respiratory disease that took us to the hospital for a week. When a baby is sick and you're the mom stuck at the hospital, you can do three things...pester the doctors, watch bad television and worry over your child. Having done all three, while my daughter slept, I tried reading. My husband had placed the new translation by Faegles of The Odyssey in my overnight bag. Reading it, the line about Helen slipping a drug (opium) into the wine to allow the men to think about the Trojan war without getting upset, jumped out at me.

That afternoon I wrote the story with the tag, "It started with an apple." I liked the person who told the story so much, I began writing more Helen stories. The original idea had been to do a series of stories (sort of an Arabian Nights) based on the various trinkets and treasures Helen deemed sentimental. It turned into something more.

I thought about how she had to manipulate and charm and work the ancient world and envisioned her as a CEO in a predatory world. Helen became a composite of multiple strong women I've known in my life plus a goodly dose of the mythic woman from all the literature. As I researched, I discovered Helen to be the original Fan Fiction woman. She has been reinvented in almost every age of Western civilization. She still holds a grip on our imagination and culture today as illustrated by a recently coined word; millihelen: the amount of beauty needed to launch a single ship. Beauty can be measured using the metric system. Who knew?

Writing this book, I sought to answer three basic questions that go unanswered in the original texts and many of the subsequent reinvisionings of the Helen/Paris/Menelaus Trojan war story.

1) What made Helen leave Sparta? (She's queen, she's in charge; she's the actual power of that world). Most of the time it's simply Paris being beautiful or the gods directly compelling the action or Menelaus bashing which oddly is designed in most cases to exonerate Helen for leaving.

2) What made the Trojans keep her? They could have ended the siege by sending her out or killing her. Her beauty alone would have been sufficient perhaps for Paris, but what made all of Troy decide to stick it out? If you read The Trojan Women, you’ll find not all of Troy found her beguiling, but the Helen in that play is so strong, she defeats the justified wrath of Queen Hecuba. So Helen had to be more than a pretty face to warrant a ten year war that ended a civilization.

3) What made Menelaus take her back after all of that? She’s the most famous adulterer of the Greek world. She’s shamed him. She’s forced Greece to empty its city states of grown men on her behalf to bring her back. She’s caused the deaths of countless people and suffering to those left behind. The line in The Aeneid, “She bared her breasts, he dropped his sword,” is all the explanation of their reconciliation we get. Yet in The Odyssey, it is clear that the two of them have a happy marriage later in life. So how do we get from running away and a 10 year bloody war to apparent tranquil domestic hearts in accord with one another?

I had fun running through all the myths to answer these questions. For a first time writer, having that wealth of material to draw from, allowed me to focus more of my attention on the crafting of their personalities and their interactions.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

Yes. A sequel of sorts, The Book of Penelope. When Odysseus went off to war, he took ten triremes. Those ships needed 200 people to operate. Thus he gutted Ithaca of 2000 people to fulfill his oath at the wedding feast of Helen, leaving his wife (a foreigner) to manage the decimated people not headed to Troy. Ithaca is an island based economy. There would be a tremendous strain on the whole community from the knowledge and labor base evaporating overnight. How she held them together for those ten years of the war and then coped when no men came home the following ten, interests me. I also think there was one hell of a fight when he returned, and that wasn’t because he slaughtered 108 suitors. So their relationship has some fire and spark, but there are long term ramifications to their relationship from his actions at home and abroad, and her long loneliness. Lots of unknown stories buried within the original material to tell.

What advice do you have for other authors?

First, read books. Read read read. Read everything. Good books will inspire, bad books will demand you prove you’re better. Second, write. Every day. Even if the words are blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. I belong to a poetry group just for this purpose, to make sure every day the creative muscles get stretched. Third, rewrite. Editing stinks. You have to kill things you love. It’s painful, (for me, like weeding a garden). But it is the craft of writing, to trim and prune and pull out whatever does not advance the story. How? Read your work aloud. Nothing edits faster than hearing your own clunky prose out of your own mouth. As an added bonus, you will grow into your character’s voices faster.Fourth, use coincidence to get into problems, but never to get out of them. Forced action feels forced. It makes the reader put the book down, it’s too hard a sell. Fifth, writer’s block. Pick up a book and read. You can’t pour out words if your mind is empty of them, or all the words you have feel used up.Final thoughts: Remember, all writing is an orchestration, a manipulation of words to create effect, so the goal of a writer is to shape the words to be as invisible as possible, and let the crafted creation pull people past the words and into the experience.

Anything else you want readers to know?

I can be bribed with good
chocolate and a diet coke?

I have a Facebook page: The Book of Helen. You can go there, like it, find links to buy the book, reviews and
supplemental material about the story, like things that were left on the
cutting room floor, character sketches and other tips on writing.

Where can readers find you and your books?

Museitup Publishing took a chance on me, assigned editors, a cover artist and helped launch this book. They’re the easiest and least expensive way to purchase it. They also have all the formats for e-readers available.

The Book of Helen is also available through Amazon in the e-books section or you can search their platform for Sherry Antonetti.

Carpinello's Writing Pages will be interviewing a number of authors this December. The first two are MG author Helen Laycock and YA author Sherry Antonetti.

This will be our final Hop of 2013. Yes, that means we will only be
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into for this month. Also, we will be keeping the Linky List open for THREE weeks this time around. So, link in, have fun hopping around, and we will see you in the new year!

Happy Holidays!!

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Helen Laycock is a writer of nine books of Middle Grade children’s fiction and poetry. She also has to her credit two contrasting short story anthologies and a book of humorous poetry for adults. She is a voracious writer and has enjoyed success with short stories and poetry in writing competitions. Her work is also included in a compilation of flash fiction and poetry produced by her online writing group and, in the near future, competition successes of a poem and a piece of flash fiction are each to feature in separate forthcoming publications.

Why did you pick to write books for Middle Grade readers?

In the UK we call Middle Grade ‘Primary’. I was a primary school teacher for many years, so the books I read to my class introduced me to the genre. I had to think about how to teach the students to write creatively, too. It was so rewarding. I analysed what worked and, as I taught them, so my own skills improved.

I began to get a feel for what the children were interested in and what they would enjoy. There really is nothing better than watching thirty children transfixed by the coming to life of print on a page. As I read, I used to invent voices for the characters and would tease by stopping at a high point which would be met by moans and pleas as they were desperate for me to continue. This was good training as it encouraged them to include high points and delicious chapter endings in their own writing. ‘Just one more chapter,’ they would beg… and I’d usually give in! What they seemed to enjoy were the page-turners: mystery, adventure and excitement, and, of course, a splash of humour never went amiss.

I suppose exposure to these types of stories began to fuel my own imagination and when I began to write, I just seemed to fall straight into this genre.

What types of books do you like to read?Nowadays, since I have given up teaching to spend more time writing, I don’t really read many children’s books myself. I’m not a huge fan of current trends where vampires or dystopia feature. Actually, I very much enjoy crime stories and thrillers. I love that surge of adrenaline that enforces a rapid-reading-rush through to the climax. I will quite often take a gamble on a new author. There is so much undiscovered talent out there. I also enjoy true-life stories. I put a lot of store by book recommendations by other readers; that’s a great way to delve into other genres. For example, I read recently The Unfortunate Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, a Man Booker Prize long-lister, just because a friend was raving over it. I really enjoyed it, too, despite it not fitting into my usual genre preference.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?That’s a good question. I never seem to not be writing. I do something every day that’s writing-related, even if it’s spending time on promotion and networking – something I’m not very good at, but have to do.

I have always written poetry. As well as putting together a couple of books of light-hearted poetry for children and adults, I also have a huge collection of serious poetry which I dip into and add to for poetry competitions. For now, that remains unpublished, purely because, in order to submit, one of the requirements is that they should not have been visible in the public domain beforehand.

I have written short stories for years. Mainly I write them for adults – and again as competition entries. I have published two collections as ebooks and have two more on the way.

I volunteer in the village library where I seem to have taken over the children’s section. I enjoy putting up wall displays, very much as I used to do as a teacher. I do get a bit carried away with detail sometimes and think I am designing the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel!

I also go walking a lot, wiggle at Zumba and enjoy meeting up with friends. As a busy mother, I seem to spend a lot of time being a chauffeuse, too!

Tell us about Glass Dreams and how the story came to be.For a long time, I had in my mind an image of a dilapidated caravan hidden in the woods and I knew it would become part of a story. I toyed with several ideas about who could be hiding there and why. Finally, I came up with the idea of a runaway, but as my idea took shape, I realised that the caravan would merely play a fleeting role in my story. It would become the place where the two main characters would meet, each of them using it as a refuge for their own reasons. So, the identities of Jake, newly orphaned, and Khala, the troubled circus performer, took shape.

From that point, the story told itself. Characters from two different worlds had collided and needed some shared purpose for the relationship and plot to flourish. Jake’s past was one of mystery. His only known relative, Grandma Mo, had been like a mother to him and, upon her death, had left him a clue to find a crystal ball. Why she should have owned such a thing is inexplicable. The crystal ball is pivotal. It is the link to the past and future and connects the children inextricably.

The focus of the story is at Fantazi’s Circus which, unequivocally, squashes any suggestion of the idea of joining the circus as romantic.

Here's a peek at Glass Dreams:

Runaway, Jake, has no idea what adventures are in store when he meets circus performer, Khala, hiding in a ramshackle caravan. Should he tell her about the mysterious box he has been warned never to open? Khala also has a secret to share, but can she trust Jake? Fantazi's circus is a place of danger, but with the help of Cedric the dwarf and his beloved Chihuahua, Audrey, the children unravel the truth and are utterly astounded at the biggest secret of all.

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

Mainly, my children’s books are what you would describe as Mystery/Adventure stories. In all of them, the main characters are children, alone for much of the action, and mostly both girls and boys feature. In each book, there is some difficulty, often a secret or danger and I try to incorporate surprises, twists and turns. I love thinking of titles that don’t quite give the game away:

Glass Dreams, as mentioned, has a crystal ball at its centre and is set at the circus where dreams certainly can come true. USUK

Salt takes place at a quintessentially English seaside town which is reminiscent of Cornwall, a magical place where tales of pirates and caves abound.

Mandrake’s Plot bears reference to the grotesque caretaker of a mysterious Scottish boarding school set high in the misty Scottish mountains, the ‘plot’ being both a plan and a strange patch of garden.

Martha and Mitch is the sinister tale of what happens when an orphan boy meets the heiress of a millionaire’s toy empire.

Song of the Moon concerns the bizarre disappearance of the local neighbourhood witch, Mrs Moonsong.

The Secret of Pooks Wood tells the story of what happens when twins, Lily and Ollie find a magical snow globe whilst stranded over Christmas at their great-uncle’s manor house.

Two of the books snuggle together in their own light-hearted adventure category: These are the adventures of a tiny man, Mr Charlie Chumpkins and its sequel The Further Mishaps of Charlie Chumpkins.

The last book for children, A Mouthful of Chuckles, is a book of funny poetry.

I also have four pieces featured in the One Word Anthology by Talkback Writers.What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?Ideas are forever wriggling their way into my head, no matter what I am doing. They might be story ideas or a line of poetry and I simply have to write them down.I’m having a little break from children’s fiction for now while my brain recovers and I am just focussing on writing competitions. Tackling a whole new book is all-consuming. I tend to live in it as though I am on a film set and when the characters are active, I have to type lightning-fast as they lead the plot. Sometimes I even have to do their bidding in the depths of the night. I frequently feel just like a scribe!

My last book, The Secret of Pooks Wood, was a challenge to write. It was the first time that I had used a time shift in a story, i.e. where a character perpetually finds herself appearing at different periods in her life. This was quite a difficult concept to get right and, at times, I had to stop as everything seemed to knot itself up and I couldn’t find the end! I was very pleased with the finished story. I read it aloud to my daughter and, at the conclusion, we both cried!

I always have something in the pipeline. I began writing my first thriller some time ago, although I have been stuck with it for quite a while. As soon as my Muse appears, I can get going again.

What advice do you have for other authors?

I found a notebook invaluable. I have a special one made of hand-made paper and I get it out for every book I write. It’s surprising what details come to you in the middle of the night. I’d jot down things that I should have included or wanted to include later and then I’d refer back to these notes as I was typing. I also jotted a summary of each chapter as I went along so that I could read through the plot quickly up to the point I was at. Highlighting and colour-coding text on the computer screen were invaluable, too. They made great markers when I had to remember to go back to something that needed attention.

On a writing level, every writer will tell you the same thing: edit, edit, edit. You will ALWAYS find a mistake, even though you may think the manuscript is perfect. As a writer, you become blind as you almost know the words off by heart. Editing is not only about typos, however. It’s about continuity and consistency, too.

Anything else you want readers to know?What is lovely is feedback and recommendation. When you consider how many hours, days, months or years it can take for a writer to get a book just right, it is very much appreciated if a reader can take just five minutes to leave a review. To get a positive response can put a writer on Cloud Nine for some time. That’s why we do it. We want readers to have a good time, but if you don’t tell us, then we assume that we have failed… and spend our days and nights miserable and lonely locked up in our draughty garrets.

Where can readers find you and your books?Well, everything is neatly gathered together on my Amazon UK Author Page; US

As well as that, I have a Facebook page and always appreciate new ‘Likes’!

I'm pleased to be part of The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy book blast and giveaway presented by Mother Daughter Book Reviews.

About the Book

Title: The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy (The Shadow of the Unicorn, Book #1)
Author: Suzanne de Montigny
Publication Date: December 4, 2012
Publisher: MuseItUp PublishingNumber of pages: 157
Recommended age: 9+

Summary

A loud, hissing sound filled the air. The unicorns looked up, their eyes filled with horror.
Azaria, a unicorn colt, is intrigued when the young clairvoyant dinosaur, Darius, foresees a terrifying change in the world. When a giant fireball smashes into the earth, the unicorns struggle to survive the hurricanes and starvation that follow. Danger of a more sinister nature threatens when the creatures-that-walk-on-two-legs settle in the valley and their leader, Ishmael, discovers the healing power of the unicorns’ horns. Azaria, now a young stallion, must use his wits to save the herd from complete extinction.

* #1 in the Animals in their World list on Goodreads Listopia *

* #1 in the Christmas Stocking Stuffers list on Goodreads Listopia *

Winner of the 2013 Global E-book Award for Best Fantasy/Alternate History

Book Trailer

The Buzz

"Kudos to Ms. de Montigny for writing an original variation on the fantasy epic--unicorns intermingling with dinosaurs! The book's themes include the humane and environmental concerns that Watership Down and the films of Hayao Miyazaki have in common. If you have a middle grader or are just young at heart, pick up The Shadow Of The Unicorn." ~ 5 Star Review, Stuart W., Amazon

"The Shadow of the Unicorn is a must-read for all unicorn lovers, but even more so for the ones, like my self, who hadn't read anything about them yet. It is a thrilling and encouraging story about a young unicorn that has to save his herd after a meteor nearly destroyed their environment and killed the dinosaurs. Suzanne de Montigny created a compelling universe with believable characters and a great adventure story to challenge them with. While the story finishes in this book, I can't wait to read about the new adventures the unicorns will face.." ~ 5 Star Review, Antje H., Amazon

"This story pulled me in with a beautiful portrayal of a time and place where unicorns and dinosaurs live side by side. It moved me forward with unexpected twist and turns (a requirement in any good story). I found it hard to put the book down and was totally engaged in seeing the young characters (unicorns and dinosaurs) survive and grow because of the challenges they faced." ~ 5 Star Review, NW Harris, Amazon

"I just finished reading The Shadow of the Unicorn. What a story teller Suzanne de Montigny is. She combined unicorns with dinosaurs and spun a tail of magic that kept me turning the pages, not to mention throwing in an evil that came in the form of a human! What an enjoyable story - and here I thought these mystic animals were extinct. I just didn't know what to look for!" ~ 5 Star Review, Penny E., Amazon

"What a delightfully unique book. Unicorns and dinosaurs facing changing conditions. Darius is a young dinosaur capable of seeing the future. Azaria is a young unicorn who becomes a friend and learns from Darius. Yes, there are humans in this book. They are the villains of the story. Greedy beasts. I think both boys and girls will love this story. Very quick paced and easy to read. A delightful story, and I look forward to more from this author." ~ 5 Star Review, DM Lawrence, Amazon

Purchase

*Half of all proceeds go to the Third World Eye Care Society, a group of eye specialists who travel to third world countries with thousands of pairs of glasses and perform eye surgery for free.*

About the Author: Suzanne de Montigny

Suzanne de Montigny wrote her first unicorn story at the age of twelve. Several years later, she discovered it in an old box in the basement, thus reigniting her love affair with unicorns. The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy, is her first novel. Suzanne lives in Burnaby, B.C. with the three loves of her life – her husband and two boys.

* $25 Book Blast Giveaway *

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner's choice) Contest runs: December 2, 2013 to January 1, 11:59 pm, 2014
Open: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Suzanne de Montigny and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions - feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
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Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend

Author Shout

Historical Novel Society

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About Me

I’m a retired high school English teacher. A devourer of books growing up, my profession introduced me to writings and authors from times long past. Through my studies and teaching, I fell in love with the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. Now, I hope to inspire young readers and those Young-at-Heart to read more through my Tales and Legends for Reluctant Readers set in these worlds.
I also conduct Medieval Writing Workshops for local elementary/middle schools.